1Disclaimer:This is Tolkien's. Duh!
Frodo was ill at ease. It had been, by his count, nearly fourteen hours since Aragorn and Legolas had left the rest of the Fellowship. It had been no later than ten when the companions had been sent to scout the trail and now the moon and stars shone dimly overhead. They were covered in fog, but the lack of light was not what worried the hobbit. The eyes of Legolas could find the company if they were still safe, but the scouting of the path had been foretold to be dangerous. Beside Frodo, Boromir mumbled something in his sleep. It was not Frodo's watch, yet he could not rest. Without Aragorn's sword, Frodo felt very small and helpless. Somehow, this night, he could not forget the words of Boromir at the council, his belief that it was folly to destroy the ring of power. Frodo wanted Gandalf to still be alive, for Aragorn to keep watch as the Ranger always did.
"I see you couldn't sleep either, laddie," Gimli startled Frodo out of h is thoughts. "Well, I may not be a Ranger, but I can swear to you that no goblins will come near the Bearer of the One Ring while Gimli son of Gloin holds his watch."
"It is not for myself that I fear," Frodo said. "I. . . I sincerely hope they will return soon. In my heart I am afraid of what Boromir could do with only a dwarf and a few Hobbits to keep him in check."
I wouldn't be worrying about that till midday tomorrow, laddie. From what I've been told, Rangers are not altogether famous for their promptness"
"Gandalf, were he here, would have said something like k A Ranger is never late or early, but arrives. . . " Frodo faltered. He still grieved the loss of Gandalf and the memory of his smile and laughter, which Frodo remembered from so long ago was unbearable. Gimli quickly changed the subject.
"Don't you worry. I believe that pointy eared elf was born to cheat death."
"Aren't all elves?" Frodo tried to joke. Gimli laughed, but Frodo could do naught but gaze at the stars on the horizon and spoke no more.
A good distance away, Aragorn and Legolas might as well have been as silent as Frodo for what they could hear over the wind. They were only about five feet away from each other, but even Legolas could barely hear or see Aragorn.
"I wonder if one of the Hobbits will be blowing into us soon," he yelled to Aragorn, who smiled at the joke. The Hobbits were probably all snoring by now, he thought.
"Just be sure it isn't Gimli and all him armor. That could kill someone," Aragorn replied. Legolas didn't hear him because of a shiver running down his spine. Danger!
"Dunedan Dad! (Down)" he called over the wind. Even as he did so , Legolas felt a sharp pain in his right side. Aragorn started toward his friend, but Legolas motioned for him to stay down. The first shot had been the goblins' only lucky one and even that was not fatal, for the arrow had not been poisoned. After a time, the whizzing of arrows stopped and the goblins seemed to have moved on. Guessing that Aragorn would make some move to treat him, Legolas quickly rose, although he made an inner grimace as his wound brushed up against the rough bark of an oak tree.
"I'm fine, Aragorn. I will survive until we can return to camp and be off. For now we have two choices."
"Either continue our scouting expedition or return to camp. the moon has not yet set, as near as I can tell, so there is much time before we must return and much left to explore. But first let me bandage your wound."
"Aragorn, it isn't bad. Besides, taking time to tend to every stubbed tow would only find us with much to explore and not much time before our deadline. Let us go on. My heart bids me to hasten from this place." He took off, fighting the wind, with Aragorn following close behind.
"Hullo, Mr. Frodo. Have you seen anymore o' that Gollum creature tonight?" Sam asked, still shaking sleep from his eyes.
"No, Sam, thankfully, we haven't," replied Frodo, still deep in thought.
"What's wrong, Mr. Frodo," Sam asked, noticing the odd tone of worry in his Master's voice.
"What are you doing awake?" Frodo asked, surprised, as if this was the first time he realized Sam was there.
"Beggin' your pardon, but I was feeling a little cold, so I just figured I'd bump up the fire." Sam explained. "But why are you still up? Your watch ended hours ago. By now it's nearly Mr. Pippin's time."
"I'm worried, Sam," Frodo admitted reluctantly. He realized Sam would never stop bothering him until he gave some excuse as to why he hadn't been asleep since the day before.
"Strider can take care o' himself. It seems he's been doin' that many a year an' Master Legolas has a keen eye and a fine shot. I don't think you need to be losing sleep over their safety."
"But, what if, it's unlikely, but what if they don't return. Boromir and I don't exactly see eye to eye as far as the fate of the ring is concerned. And Gimli, well, Gimli doesn't seem to have an overwhelming opinion about which road we should take. Oh, Sam, this nasty fog's cooling the whole world down. Heap the fire up." Sam tried to think of words to comfort Frodo, but , as he could not, he went to build up the fire.
"Shall I wake Master Peregrine?" he asked when he saw Gimli returning.
"No, allow him to sleep. I will keep Frodo company in the late watches of the night. Goodnight, Master Gamgee," the dwarf bade him. He went and sat beside Frodo who was staring off into the fog. "Move closer to the fire, lad," he advised. "It will keep you warm and may yet comfort your spirits." Frodo did so only because he could no longer see shadow or light from where he sat. He still refused to speak and the silence that engulfed them was as heavy as the fog bearing down upon them. Boromir's eyes opened
Frodo was ill at ease. It had been, by his count, nearly fourteen hours since Aragorn and Legolas had left the rest of the Fellowship. It had been no later than ten when the companions had been sent to scout the trail and now the moon and stars shone dimly overhead. They were covered in fog, but the lack of light was not what worried the hobbit. The eyes of Legolas could find the company if they were still safe, but the scouting of the path had been foretold to be dangerous. Beside Frodo, Boromir mumbled something in his sleep. It was not Frodo's watch, yet he could not rest. Without Aragorn's sword, Frodo felt very small and helpless. Somehow, this night, he could not forget the words of Boromir at the council, his belief that it was folly to destroy the ring of power. Frodo wanted Gandalf to still be alive, for Aragorn to keep watch as the Ranger always did.
"I see you couldn't sleep either, laddie," Gimli startled Frodo out of h is thoughts. "Well, I may not be a Ranger, but I can swear to you that no goblins will come near the Bearer of the One Ring while Gimli son of Gloin holds his watch."
"It is not for myself that I fear," Frodo said. "I. . . I sincerely hope they will return soon. In my heart I am afraid of what Boromir could do with only a dwarf and a few Hobbits to keep him in check."
I wouldn't be worrying about that till midday tomorrow, laddie. From what I've been told, Rangers are not altogether famous for their promptness"
"Gandalf, were he here, would have said something like k A Ranger is never late or early, but arrives. . . " Frodo faltered. He still grieved the loss of Gandalf and the memory of his smile and laughter, which Frodo remembered from so long ago was unbearable. Gimli quickly changed the subject.
"Don't you worry. I believe that pointy eared elf was born to cheat death."
"Aren't all elves?" Frodo tried to joke. Gimli laughed, but Frodo could do naught but gaze at the stars on the horizon and spoke no more.
A good distance away, Aragorn and Legolas might as well have been as silent as Frodo for what they could hear over the wind. They were only about five feet away from each other, but even Legolas could barely hear or see Aragorn.
"I wonder if one of the Hobbits will be blowing into us soon," he yelled to Aragorn, who smiled at the joke. The Hobbits were probably all snoring by now, he thought.
"Just be sure it isn't Gimli and all him armor. That could kill someone," Aragorn replied. Legolas didn't hear him because of a shiver running down his spine. Danger!
"Dunedan Dad! (Down)" he called over the wind. Even as he did so , Legolas felt a sharp pain in his right side. Aragorn started toward his friend, but Legolas motioned for him to stay down. The first shot had been the goblins' only lucky one and even that was not fatal, for the arrow had not been poisoned. After a time, the whizzing of arrows stopped and the goblins seemed to have moved on. Guessing that Aragorn would make some move to treat him, Legolas quickly rose, although he made an inner grimace as his wound brushed up against the rough bark of an oak tree.
"I'm fine, Aragorn. I will survive until we can return to camp and be off. For now we have two choices."
"Either continue our scouting expedition or return to camp. the moon has not yet set, as near as I can tell, so there is much time before we must return and much left to explore. But first let me bandage your wound."
"Aragorn, it isn't bad. Besides, taking time to tend to every stubbed tow would only find us with much to explore and not much time before our deadline. Let us go on. My heart bids me to hasten from this place." He took off, fighting the wind, with Aragorn following close behind.
"Hullo, Mr. Frodo. Have you seen anymore o' that Gollum creature tonight?" Sam asked, still shaking sleep from his eyes.
"No, Sam, thankfully, we haven't," replied Frodo, still deep in thought.
"What's wrong, Mr. Frodo," Sam asked, noticing the odd tone of worry in his Master's voice.
"What are you doing awake?" Frodo asked, surprised, as if this was the first time he realized Sam was there.
"Beggin' your pardon, but I was feeling a little cold, so I just figured I'd bump up the fire." Sam explained. "But why are you still up? Your watch ended hours ago. By now it's nearly Mr. Pippin's time."
"I'm worried, Sam," Frodo admitted reluctantly. He realized Sam would never stop bothering him until he gave some excuse as to why he hadn't been asleep since the day before.
"Strider can take care o' himself. It seems he's been doin' that many a year an' Master Legolas has a keen eye and a fine shot. I don't think you need to be losing sleep over their safety."
"But, what if, it's unlikely, but what if they don't return. Boromir and I don't exactly see eye to eye as far as the fate of the ring is concerned. And Gimli, well, Gimli doesn't seem to have an overwhelming opinion about which road we should take. Oh, Sam, this nasty fog's cooling the whole world down. Heap the fire up." Sam tried to think of words to comfort Frodo, but , as he could not, he went to build up the fire.
"Shall I wake Master Peregrine?" he asked when he saw Gimli returning.
"No, allow him to sleep. I will keep Frodo company in the late watches of the night. Goodnight, Master Gamgee," the dwarf bade him. He went and sat beside Frodo who was staring off into the fog. "Move closer to the fire, lad," he advised. "It will keep you warm and may yet comfort your spirits." Frodo did so only because he could no longer see shadow or light from where he sat. He still refused to speak and the silence that engulfed them was as heavy as the fog bearing down upon them. Boromir's eyes opened